Embraer Doubles Down on KC-390 Production as Global Orders Surge]

SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS, Brazil — Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer is accelerating production of its KC-390 Millennium tactical airlifter, aiming to nearly double output by the end of the decade as international demand intensifies.

“As demand is growing, not only to meet the current commitments we have with customers, but also looking to the future, looking ahead [at] what’s coming, we are in ramping up mode,” said Marcio Monteiro, chief marketing officer of Embraer’s defense division, during a June 10 briefing with reporters.

The company expects to deliver six KC-390 aircraft this year, with plans to reach 10 units annually by the close of the decade. Recent successes include key orders from Sweden and the UAE, with greek officials approving a procurement of three aircraft shortly after Monteiro’s remarks.

The KC-390 competes directly with Lockheed Martin’s C-130J Super Hercules and occasionally Airbus’s A400M Atlas. Embraer estimates a global market opportunity of up to 450 aircraft over the next 20 years, excluding the U.S. market, which Monteiro described as a conservative figure.

This year’s deliveries will go to the Czech Republic, Uzbekistan, and South Korea. The KC-390 serves as both a tactical airlifter and aerial refueler via hose-and-drogue system. A new partnership with Northrop Grumman is exploring integration of a dedicated refueling boom to enhance compatibility with additional aircraft types, including F-35 fighters.

Embraer is studying technical and cost-sharing details for the boom development, with the goal of ensuring retrofitting capabilities for existing operators. The potential U.S. market remains a major opportunity, bolstered by Embraer’s offer to establish a U.S. assembly line should an order materialize.

A potential U.S. tanker modernization program is currently under review. Meanwhile, Embraer continues producing the A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft in Jacksonville, Florida, in partnership with SNC. While the company projects a 500-aircraft market over two decades, production sustainability depends on securing additional orders, according to Monteiro.

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